Access to data through Safe Reading rooms

The European Data Strategy aims to create a single market where data flows between countries and sectors. In this respect, the public sector holds a large amount of data of value to citizens. Much of this data are made openly available through various open data platforms, but there are also data over which third party rights apply, limiting its openness. These data can also be of great interest for scientific research purposes.

The existence of numerous administrative registers and public databases, as well as the evolution of the technologies that allow their management, have led to the availability of large amounts of information in all areas that can be used for the benefit of society, increasing the demand for access by researchers.

In this regard, on 3 June, the Data Governance Act was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Act seeks to encourage data sharing in the EU, promoting the so-called Data Economy. Among other issues, the new act contemplates the need to develop mechanisms that facilitate the reuse of this type of data, over which third party rights apply, with all the legal guarantees.

One of these mechanisms are the so-called Safe Reading Rooms, mentioned during the impact assessment prior to the approval of the Act.

What are Safe Rooms?

Safe Rooms are conceived as a single point of contact to support researchers in the re-use of certain protected categories of data held by the public sector. They allow for a controlled processing of the data, while preserving privacy or other rights attached to the data.

In Europe there are various initiatives of this type, such as the CASD (Centre d’Accès Sécurisé aux Données) and the Health Data Hub in France or the Microdata Research Laboratory in Portugal.  In Spain we also have several organisations that have already made Safe Reading Rooms available to researchers.  Let's look at 3 examples.

3 examples of Safe Rooms for data sharing in Spain

Bank of Spain Data Laboratory (BELab)

The Banco de España facilitates access to high-quality microdata, guaranteeing its confidentiality through Secure Rooms. Some of the data it offers are microdata from individual companies of Fintech entities or from the Financial Skills Survey.

Users can access the information both on-site (in Madrid and Barcelona) and remotely, depending on the degree of sensitivity of the information under study. The on-site lab stations, which are isolated without internet access, use Stata, R, Python and Octave for data processing.

To gain access, researchers must submit their CV and an application form explaining the purpose of the research. This application is assessed by a Research Technical Evaluation Committee. If accepted, a series of rules and restrictions are set (timetable, access without a mobile device, etc.).

To guarantee the proper use of the microdata, BELab prepares and supplies the methodological documentation. In addition, technical experts review the work to ensure compliance with the corresponding confidentiality clauses.

Once the work has been completed, the researcher is obliged to mention the source of the data and send a copy of the study carried out. He/she also undertakes not to make any attempt to re-identify the natural or legal persons linked to the data under study.

Social Security Investigation Chambers

Researchers and academics interested in Social Security databases and microdata have at their disposal three Secure Rooms in Madrid, Barcelona and Albacete, which can only be accessed by authorised personnel, without electronic devices. These rooms are equipped with tools such as SAS, STATA, R, Python and Microsoft Office. Remote access is also allowed through secure devices (called "bastioned devices") that are distributed among researchers.

Some of the data available are the Continuous Sample of Working Lives, the Monthly Affiliation or the ERTEs by COVID-19, among others.

As in the case of the Bank of Spain, the interested party will have to send a request by e-mail to solicitudes.sala-investigacion@seg-social.es. A Committee of Experts will evaluate the request. If approved, the necessary data will be prepared, access to which will be allowed through a private personal folder.

The Committee of Experts will also evaluate the outcome of the research, to ensure regulatory compliance. If everything is correct, the study will be published on the Social Security Data Portal.

National Statistics Institute (INE)

The National Statistical Institute is one of the main publishers of open data in our country, but it also holds sensitive data of value that must be treated with the corresponding confidentiality measures. Access to this information for scientific research purposes follows the protocol foreseen in Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European Statistics and in the European Statistics Code of Practice.

This service is intended for researchers working or collaborating in recognised research organisations. The process is similar to the previous cases. An application must be submitted, which will be evaluated by the INE. This request must be as detailed as possible, indicating the variables to be consulted, the geographical-temporal level and the justification of the need for this information. Some of these data may incur costs, as established in the Official State Gazette.

These three examples illustrate the importance of Safe Rooms in enabling the reuse of valuable data while guaranteeing the confidentiality and privacy of the information. This allows for more in-depth research, which can generate economic and social good. An intensive use of data allows to boost innovation in public sector performance, facilitating the contrast of ideas, promoting creativity and the maximum use of resources in the general framework of a modern, participative, open and useful public management to solve or improve social problems and challenges.